Sga Building To Make Impact For Next Decade

May 23, 1985|By Herky Cush of The Sentinel Staff

In its nearly 10 years of existence the Sanford Gymnastic Association has meant a lot of things to a lot of people. But it's the next 10 years that the SGA members envision as making more of an impact in Sanford and for gymnastics throughout Central Florida.

The SGA, a non-profit organization founded in 1977, recently undertook a project to construct a $85,000 complex in Sanford on land donated by the Sunrise Kiwanis Club of Sanford.

Planning calls for an 11,000 square foot facilty. The new SGA home will be located on 25th Place in Sanford.

The SGA participates in the United States Gymnastic Federation competition throughout Florida and features Eugene Petty, the club's full-time coach with part-time compensation.

Petty has built an impressive record with Class IV and Class III gymnasts and most recently several of those individuals have improved to become Class II team members. Last November, one of Petty's teams took first place in a sectional championship in Jacksonville.

The SGA has future plans to train Class I gymnasts. But at present, SGA officials are hoping to give grants to member gymnasts who achieve Class I level in the next few years to further their skills at other area gym clubs.

For the main fundraising project, the SGA enticed former Olympian and world class gymnast Kurt Thomas to do a June 4 special benefit at Sea World where the star routinely holds his own Kurt Thomas Show.

In discussing the idea with William Siegrist, a long-time worker for SGA, Thomas offered his services free of charge. Thomas, wishing to assure the SGA project would be the successful fund raiser envisioned, later chipped in the services of those gymnasts who appear in his Sea World shows. It's all part of Thomas' devotion to the sport in which he became famous and highlighted in Florida.

SGA president Jeannette Stiffey is confident the project will indeed be a success. She said over $20,000 has already been been received in pledges and checks.

''We are expecting to get at least 50 percent of our goal,'' Stiffey said. ''That would be just a great start for this project.

''In addition, we've had several other individuals and organizations about ready to step forward and help,'' Stiffey said. ''If that happens it will make a big difference in our project.''

Stiffey, recently named Seminole County 1985 Dividend of the Year for her volunteer work, has been with the SGA since its early days.

She has seen the club forced to move its equipment from various sites in the Sanford area. The club began working at Seminole High School and then moved to the Melodee Skating Rink. In 1979, after becoming incorporated, the club used donated space from the Salvation Army. Most recently, the club was permitted to use a building at the vacant Sanford Crooms High School.

''It's really a major project to uproot all of that equipment,'' said Siegrist, whose wife Margaret is the SGA vice-president. ''We feel the club can't help but grow when it has a permanent home.''

Siegrist, who grew up in Seminole County and has monitored the progress and growth of Central Florida, is an executive at Sun Banks of Florida. Like many of his co-workers, he became involved in community service.

He got involved in this special project and the Kurt Thomas benefit when it became apparent the SGA would have to act quickly to take advantage of the land offer.

Despite the adversity of having to frequently move its home base, the Sanford club has retained individuals from Orange, Brevard, Lake, Volusia as well as Seminole Counties.

Presently there are 125 young athletes enrolled in the club competing in beginner, intermediate, pre-teen and team levels.

The club has had far-reaching affects on a variety of individuals. One member, Linda Arent, received two silver medals in the International Special Olympics Gymnastic competition. The achievement by Arent is one of Petty's finest achievements in coaching.

The SGA offers three ticket plans for the Kurt Thomas show. There are gold sponsorships for which the contributor receives 10 of the $100 tickets. The silver sponsor receives five tickets for their pledge of $500. In addition there are individual tickets which are being sold at any Sun Bank in Seminole County. All donations are tax deductable.

Both SGA and Brown's Gymnastic Central in Altamonte Springs -- a privately owned facility which has enjoyed tremendous growth and a great deal of success in competition -- are bursting at the seams, a natural consequence of American success at the 1984 Olympics in gymnastics and further proof for the need for enlarged or additional gymnastic facilities in Central Florida.